Tournament
by indehed
Summary: (McDanno) The annual Games were an antiquated and ridiculous way to find a suitor for the next royal in line for the throne. But being the victor wasn't enough to secure the Prince's hand in marriage. No, you had to be the victor for three years in a row to warrant the opportunity to ask and no one had managed it in almost 40 years.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: The annual Games were an antiquated and ridiculous way to find a suitor for the next royal in line for the throne. But being the victor wasn't enough to secure the Prince's hand in marriage. No, you had to be the victor for three years in a row to warrant the opportunity to ask and no one had managed it in almost 40 years.**

 _"You do remember that this is about more than just winning a medal and an accolade," Danny frowned at Steven. "If you keep the title for three years its expected that you marry into the royal family. Me, specifically."_

 _"I am aware of that," his face barely moved, he didn't give anything away. "I'll see you next year, you Highness."_

 **Notes: Thanks to sardonicwolf for the beta :) Any mistakes that are still floating around are my own.**

 **Well aware that I have another AU similar to this ongoing but this is the happier dumping ground for some of the scenarios in my head and it is technically different, lol.**  
 **There are 7 chapters, all written, all been to beta, I just need the time to go over each chapter. They'll all be posted in the next few days, shorter chapters will likely be published together.**

 **Each chapter begins with one of the 31 Rules of Courtly Love, written by Andeas Capellanus in the 12th Century.**

 **Originally published on ao3: October 2015**

* * *

 _XIV. The easy attainment of love makes it of little value; difficulty of attainment makes it prized._

Daniel grabbed another drink from the tray as the server passed by. He had no time for evenings like this. He could deal with talking to ambassadors and keep up appearances, but he hated this particular evening. No actually he loathed it, with a passion. Other royal functions were fine, like the winter and summer solstice ball, or Grace's birthday ball. He didn't even mind the fancy clothes he adorned. But he couldn't stand this party. Mostly because it was about him.

It's not that Danny didn't like attention at times. Like anyone else, he was flattered by it; and having grown up in a royal household, he'd become used to the eyes on him when he was outside of the castle walls.

But the annual Games were an antiquated and ridiculous way to find a suitor for the next royal in line for the throne and this year (along with many that had passed and likely many more to come) that was him.

Knights came from far and wide to compete. There were five different events. The overall winner would meet and mingle at this fancy party and get to know the Royal family better. Being the victor wasn't enough to secure the Prince's hand in marriage though. No, you had to be the victor for three years in a row to warrant that opportunity to ask.

That triumph hadn't been accomplished in almost forty years - not since Sir Edward won and asked for Clara's hand and was readily accepted. It was expected that should a knight be strong, versatile and determined enough to keep winning, then they were considered perfectly suitable. If the Royals then refused, it negated the point of the entire Games, so it was an implied obligation that the royal being asked followed the tradition and accepted the offer of marriage.

Upon reaching his eighteenth year, Danny became the prize in these farces, taking over from his aunt (who had been the custodian of the crown should anything befall the Queen, that was, until Danny was old enough to be ruler). Sometimes he wished Matthew was the older brother, then that idiot could be the prize and Danny could stop worrying about it.

He'd spent many a party talking with victorious knights, all of whom had different reasons for taking part but at the end of the day, it only came down to three: wealth, power or love. Or a combination of those three. But then they would win and Danny would put them in their place. There was no true wealth to be won as spending was closely monitored in the royal household and in this kingdom, in _this_ family, it was done for betterment of the whole kingdom, not just a greedy few. And there was no power to be won either. Though the eventual winner would marry into royalty, the power of the throne remained with the blood line. Clara was Queen, Eddie was merely her consort. Though at least one knight in the past remarked to Danny that even then, it beat living in a hovel and scrounging for food. Beating off bandits for a measly village reward. That Knight had not returned the next year. Killed by bandits, Danny later found out.

Then there was love. And that was one of their dreams more easily deflated. All they had to do was meet and talk with Danny for a while and they'd invariably go away unhappy. He wasn't sabotaging, well, not entirely. But he also wasn't going to beat around the bush. This was him, this was who he was, and love was a difficult thing to pin down. If they didn't like him when he was brusque, short-tempered and stubborn, then there was no point.

So even if they did return to compete for second, or even a few third year hopefuls, they never won. And Danny was saved from having to marry the idiots and could breathe a sigh of relief.

Not that he was 'unpracticed' in romance, love, sex. Marriage was one thing that would only happen for him should there be a winner, but he'd had plenty of dalliances. One of which, with Clara's young lady in waiting, had produced a child. Though having a daughter out of wedlock would perhaps have been frowned upon by some, the family were delighted, as it was unlikely a female knight would best the male champions and therefore any marriage would not wield an heir.

Grace was his life. He loved that little girl with every breath he had and despite her naive love of the Games (hoping her father would meet a dashing Knight who would sweep them both off their feet and love them forever) he wished only for them to end.

"Daniel," his mother walked up behind him. "You must talk to him. People are watching."

"Let them," Danny huffed out. He'd spent the Games watching with his usual disinterest, why should the after party be any different? "I don't care what they think. Besides, I don't like him."

"How do you know if you won't talk with him?"

"Because I know his type, Ma, okay? He's just a posturing, stuck up asshole who wants to lord it about the place. I bet you his reason for taking part was the power angle. Power and Glory. Nothing to do with me and I refuse to end up married to that kind of schmuck."

"Well, I thought he seemed like a very polite young man. He complimented my dress."

Danny wrinkled his nose. "Well, that makes all the difference. If his taste in fashion is impeccable, he must be the love of my life," the sarcasm dripped from his tongue and Queen Clara's shoulders slumped, giving up.

"Fine, hate him, see if I care. But talk to him properly at least once before you retire to bed?"

"Okay, Ma, okay," Danny grumbled, unable to deny his mother these requests. Especially when she gave him those eyes.

He downed the last of his drink and then snagged another as he approached the stoic man. Danny wasn't stupid, he could tell what the knight was doing, scoping out the room, most likely for possible threats. The Knight was a soldier through and through, and clearly never switched off. His impassive face and impressive stature was putting plenty of people off from speaking with him.

"Sir Steven," Danny greeted him as he approached his side. "Are you enjoying the evening? It is, after all, in your honor."

"Not just mine, your Highness," Steven responded.

"I should congratulate you. Again." Danny had already done so at the conclusion of the Games and the medal ceremony, but that was formal and in front of a crowd. They hadn't actually talked properly. "The events this year were tough."

Each year the five events were randomly selected from a choice of fifty, so the competitors could not concentrate their training efforts on one single event in order to win. The spontaneity of them kept everyone on their toes and the events were drawn the evening before, giving only a few hours of practice time for those competing.

Danny looked up at Steven, who shrugged at his words and it angered him that he could be so nonchalant about it; about the whole situation. The Games were serious to Danny. They dictated his future.

"What, you thought they were easy? Just some silly little tournament to take part in on a whim?"

"I took part because it was my father's dying wish that I try."

Danny took a moment. "I'm sorry for your loss. You fulfilled his wishes, you took part. And you proved something by winning, I guess. Does that mean you won't be back next year?"

"I haven't decided yet," Steven answered. "Maybe I got lucky with the choices of events this year. And there is something to be said about retaining a title."

"You do remember that this is about more than just winning a medal and an accolade," he frowned at Steven. "If you keep the title for three years its expected that you marry into the royal family. Me, specifically."

"I am aware of that," his face barely moved, he didn't give anything away.

Danny snorted in disgust. "Nice to see how much you care about the effects of your grand plans on anybody else. On me. On the rest of my family. On my daughter."

"You love her very much."

"I do. Of course I do. She is the light of my life and she lost her mother in childbirth so I am all she has. She is an angel who, get this, is ten years old and every year at this time she wishes only that I get to be happy. And I will not let some trumped up knight take that away from her."

Steven was giving Danny a strange look that was hard to decipher. "Like I said, I'm aware of the situation." He shuffled his feet, turning himself to look at Danny better. "You clearly have a lot of heart. And I've been watching and listening to you this evening. You greet all these diplomats and dignitaries in a way that makes them comfortable and you know exactly who they are and any treaties you have with their kingdoms like the back of your hand - that shows you're intelligent and take pride in your work as Crown Prince. You also clearly have physical strength. Your father is a knight of renown, I'm sure he taught you well. These are all qualities I admire in person."

"Well, thanks for the character deconstruction. Just so you know, I'm not fond of knights. I find them pompous and arrogant with really big heads and when they go blundering on into places they only make my life more difficult."

Steven let a smirk escape his lips but tempered it quickly. He took a breath, his chest puffing up. "I think I will compete again next year."

"You… what?" Danny craned his neck forward, thinking he must have misheard. "I thought you already said you wouldn't. The whole 'dying wish' thing was fulfilled. Time for you to move on to something more challenging…"

"I dunno," Steven seemed almost wistful, enjoying himself as Danny sputtered. "These Games hold a certain appeal."

Danny held up a finger between them, planning to tell Steven just how much he didn't like hearing that, but instead he couldn't come up with anything that could put a nail in the coffin and instead just waved it off, took a step back and walked away.

"I'll see you next year, Your Highness."

"Whatever," Danny muttered as he headed off, intent on letting his anger fall to the side as he tucked Grace into bed and then slept comfortably in his own.


	2. Chapter 2

_XV. Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved._

Sir Steven won the following year. He even made it look easy as he stormed to victory. All he had to do was make it to the semi-finals of the last event and he would win overall, and when he made it to the finals, it was simply a formality by then.

The after party had been different. When someone won for a second year in a row there was always an air of excitement in the crowd that something could happen. The party was filled with dignitaries who would begin to fawn over someone who could perhaps win the hand of the Prince.

Danny felt like Steve was a shadow over him. Literally and figuratively. He was wary; his stomach had butterflies because maybe Steven _**would**_ win for a third year and Danny would have to put up with the braggart for the rest of his life. At the same time, he felt eyes on him throughout the evening. He would turn, seek out Steven in the crowd and their eyes would meet instantly - Steven was always aware of exactly where Danny was.

They had spoken only briefly. Danny felt like a party favor, there for Steven's entertainment and the man certainly seemed to keep his attention on the Prince, as if wondering what he might do next to please him.

And now here they were. The Games coming around again and when the names of this year's competitors were announced, the crowd gave a cheer at the mention of Sir Steven's name. Danny rubbed his head. Alas, Steven had not been killed in some quest over the past 12 months.

"Great. My life is over," Danny slumped back in his chair as they watched from the royal box.

"Don't be so dramatic, Danny. You really think he's going to win?" Clara asked as Eddie watched on.

"I like the boy," Eddie nodded. "I agree with Danny. He's the favorite to win going by the bookie's odds and there's something about him. Reminds me of me," he smiled as he reached to clasp his hand into Clara's.

"Handsome, brave, dashing… a sense of humor…" Clara waxed lyrical.

"Humor? You've gotta be kidding me. The man is not funny. He thinks he is, but trust me, he's not," Danny said with a wave of his hand. He'd discovered more about Steve the last few years as they had been forced to mingle at more and more events and parties. The winners were always invited, but few had ever actually shown up. Yet Steve always had. The fact that Danny called him something less formal and that he'd practically forgotten at times that Steve was a knight was testament to that. Danny even caught himself enjoying the man's presence which had been stopped straight away in favor of commiseration with his daughter over it all.

"Well, there are plenty of familiar names on the list… Nick Taylor…"

"Hate him."

"Frederick Hart…"

"Steve's best friend, so I hate him."

"Kono Kalakaua…"

Danny stuck his bottom lip out. "Kono, I like. But she's young and still inexperienced in a lot of the tournaments we hold. I doubt she'd win."

"Admit it, Danny," Clara teased. "If Steven won, it wouldn't be so bad."

Danny shook his head and walked away. He couldn't watch.


	3. Chapter 3

_XXV. A true lover considers nothing good except what he thinks will please his beloved._

Steve was winning. Two events so far and he had been successful enough in both to put him in good stead for the three still to come. He was sweaty and tired out after the second and yet as Danny entered his tent, Steve was happily engaged in conversation with Freddie and looking like he could still go three rounds with a dragon and survive.

"Prince Daniel," Freddie's face straightened along with his back as he showed respect to the monarch.

Steve turned to him, a smile erupting on his face. "Danny!" he greeted, much more informally. Danny refused to give the stomach flip he experienced any credence. He kept his hands behind his back.

"If I may have a moment with Sir Steven," Danny said and the knight took the hint immediately.

"Of course. I must go check in with my squire," Sir Frederick carefully moved past Danny, leaving the two men alone.

"Congratulations on your victories today. I think they heard Grace's clapping in Lord Anthony's lands."

"Her enthusiasm was very inspiring," Steve told him.

His daughter had taken a liking to Steve from the moment they'd met following Steve's win the previous year. She'd insisted on being at the celebrations and Clara was unable to refuse her granddaughter much. Grace liked Steve and as much as Danny found it endearing, he also had to be wary. He did not want Steve to win for this third year and with Grace so attached to the knight, he knew it would break her heart if Steve wasn't able to fulfill her desires for them.

Because ever since they'd met; and because Grace enjoyed spending time with Steve when he was about the castle, she had insisted that Steve was, without a doubt, going to be The One for Danny.

The people put so much stock into the Games as a true test of love. If one man (or woman) had the ability, the strength, the stamina, the determination to win for those three years then it was a testament to fate. To true love. The Games had become something of legend. A fairy tale. Grace was still so young that she believed in them.

Once upon a time, Danny had been in the same position. He remembered being a young boy and knowing how his parents had met and seeing just how much they were meant to be together had given him this expectation that it would work like that for him too.

But watching his aunt year after year be disappointed at her lack of suitor, that no one was able to win her hand had made Danny doubt. It made him think the Games cruel. And by the time he'd met Rachel and fallen in love with her while knowing she was not the kind of person who could ever hope to win such a tournament, it made him believe the Games to be bias in favor of those capable in body and mind and those born into a family that could support the training necessary. Who was to say that only those of physical prowess and mental agility combined could win the chance to marry into royalty?

And so the Games took on a horrible meaning in Danny's head that one day he might be saddled with whomever won. He'd already lost love, he doubted he could find it again, especially amongst the pool of knights who usually had their heads so far up their own asses that-

"Are you okay, Your Highness?" Steve asked, bringing Danny out of his thoughts. He must have looked a fool standing there trapped in his own head.

"I'm fine. I was simply curious."

"About what?" Steve asked as he continued to disrobe, throwing his soiled garments in a corner. Now he stood in nothing but his breeches, chest on display and the bruising from the morning's first event beginning to stand out on his skin.

"You told me once that you participated that first year because of your father."

"That's true. It was his dying wish."

"I've never understood why you continued. You won, you showed off your abilities as a knight to your father and to the world. As victor you set up a lucrative career for yourself. The accolade of winner here goes far. Why return with such determination?"

"You really don't know?" Steve asked, towel in hand as he took steps towards Danny. "It was my father's desire that I win, yes, but not to prove anything to the world."

"Then why?"

"To prove something to you," Steve answered, like it was obvious.

Danny was taken aback, not just by Steve's words but by the look in his eyes. There was something familiar that he couldn't put his finger on. There had always been something about Steve that prickled the back of his neck and he'd never been able to explain it, choosing instead to brush it aside. Perhaps that had been the wrong thing to do.

"My father once quested with Sir Edward. It was over ten years after your father had secured Queen Clara's hand in marriage. You would have been no more than eight years old. The quest was to recover the stolen gold from the treasury and it led them to the Dark Mountains where they faced the snake headed demon. Do you remember?"

Danny frowned. Yes, he remembered the stories. His father had succeeded, the money had been recovered and the demon summoned by the Noshimuri Dynasty had been vanquished. But Steve wasn't looking for Danny to repeat the facts. He wanted him to remember something else about it.

"I remember my father leaving with three knights. I remember him returning with two," Danny said. Though he knew Sir John had been one of the returnees.

"I was young and upset that my father would leave so soon after my mother's death, leaving my sister and me in the care of our aunt. In order to take my mind off things, my father charged me with an important task for while he was gone. Something that would further my training."

"And what was that?"

"To make sure nothing befell the Crown Prince."

"You mean me," Danny said. "I had castle guards for that. Not to mention a legion of knights."

"Then you don't remember," Steve said sadly. "I thought not."

"Remember what?"

"I followed you. The castle guards knew me, knew my father, they knew I was no threat to you and they thought it was a game. I hid in bushes and I stood outside doors. I checked in the kitchens to make sure the food you ate was safe. I was a shadow and one I was proud you were not aware of, though admittedly, at ten years old, I had hoped for some recognition, but a knight doesn't fight for glory or plaudits. He fights to protect, because it is the right thing to do."

Danny listened, recognizing Steve's words as something Sir John must have told him time and time again. They were similar to the values Danny's father had instilled in him. Danny thought back, trying to piece things together. How could he have missed another kid following him around all over the place? Had he been a stuck up brat or was he just oblivious? Or was Steve just that good, even at the age of ten.

"Wait," Danny held up a hand, a sudden thought. "That quest. It was during that quest that I… that Billy died in the lake."

Steve's face took on a solemn look. "I tried, Your Highness. I tried to save you both but I couldn't. I did as ordered, I made sure you were okay but by the time I could go after Billy, he'd already disappeared below the water."

"But the guards… I thought they pulled me out."

"It was me."

"I had no idea," Danny breathed out. He had been in and out of consciousness. Water had filled his lungs and he'd thought he was going to die. Ever since, he avoided that lake. It was no wonder that during the summer solstice gatherings these last few years, Steve had shown up and discouraged anyone from inviting Danny closer to the water. Danny hadn't even thought that significant until now.

"I felt guilty about Billy's death for years. It drove me on to be a better knight. To get myself to a point where if something like that happened again, I'd be quicker, I'd be stronger and I'd be able to save everyone."

"You were a kid. And you did everything you could. I would never blame anyone for not being able to save someone from an accident," Danny told him earnestly.

"I did my job. My father told me he was proud of me for saving you, for doing what was asked of me. Sir Edward even awarded me a medal."

"But what does any of this have to do with proving yourself to me? If you'd just said something I'd have told you how unnecessary that is. I would never blame you for Billy's death."

Steve took a second to think, putting the towel aside despite the streaks of dirt and sweat that remained on his body. "My father told me that when I looked at you from afar, it was with something more than loyalty. He said my actions and my devotion were one thing, but that my eyes were another. He believed I was destined to be by your side."

"So when you said you were proving yourself to me you meant… you meant you were doing this in order to win three years. Not one. You're doing this to win the chance to ask?"

Steve bowed his head in respect.

Danny had no idea what to make of it. From the start, Steve had never made any intentions clear. He had played everything close to the vest and Danny was stunned to hear that all along Steve had a game plan. Danny had thought Steve cold at first, thought him the usual braggart - he had been playing the part well. To think Steve had these hidden depths was astonishing.

"My father trained me in all fifty possible events. He wanted to give me my best chance at winning. He told me on his death bed that my training was complete."

Danny stepped aside, suffocated by how close Steve was to him, feeling the heat from his body and practically hearing the beat of his heart. "I don't know what to make of any of this," he thought out loud.

Steve followed him, took him by the arm and had them facing each other again. "I don't know if it changes things for you, but if I win, which is looking likely, then I will be by your side for the rest of our lives, which is where I'm meant to be."

"You believe as your father did? That you and I are fated to be together," Danny asked, with only a hint of the bitterness he felt towards the tournament seeping through along with his disbelief in fairy tale happy endings.

"You don't?" Steve's eyes narrowed, his own beliefs unshakeable.

"I only truly met you after your first win. We only see each other at special gatherings and parties and anything else you get invited to here. I feel like I barely know you!" Danny argued.

"What's my favorite food? The name of my sister? The most embarrassing thing that ever happened to me?" Steve asked.

Danny scoffed. Of course he knew the answers to all three but that didn't prove anything. "That's not-"

Steve cut him off continuing. "And as for what I know about you? How much you love your daughter and put her first? The way your father trained you in the art of swordplay? They way your mother wanted you to have a rounded education and schooled you in mathematics, history, geography? The time you tied your brother up to the fence by the cow fields and told him you were leaving him there as food for the bulls. Or when you broke your wrist climbing the tall oak outside your chamber window trying to escape the jester at your birthday party when you were six."

"Who told you that?"

"Prince Matthew's lips get very loose when he's had a lot of wine," Steve explained through a smile. "My point is, you know more than you realize. As do I."

"But that's not proof that we're meant to be. That we're in love? That's what the people believe about this tournament. That it finds true love. If you win, if you ask, if you become my husband, there are expectations. Are you so convinced you can meet them?" Danny asked, thinking Steve might be easily put off by sharing his bed.

"We can put that to the test right now," Steve said with confidence and before Danny could ask him how, he was swept forward into an embrace and Steve was kissing him. It was intense, unyielding and determined but it hid a softness and care. It was like everything else about Steve. There was desire and need and sweetness as it deepened. Steve's hold relaxed on Danny but only enough for one hand to travel over Danny's back while the other gently held his neck.

Danny didn't know what to do with himself except to return the kiss. Hidden desires sprung forth and he wanted more as his hands found purchase on Steve's arms then slid up to his shoulders.

He felt Steve gently bite at his lower lip before delving back into his mouth, their noses pressing together as the kiss moved and then there was tingling and heavy breathing. The kiss was finished but they hadn't parted, instead Steve stayed impossible close to Danny, his tongue darting out to lick his own lips but Danny felt it too and it made him instinctively lift his head up and forward for more.

Steve soothed the hair back from Danny's forehead as they looked into one another's eyes, so close that it made everything blur.

"I think a lack of passion is not a problem we face," Steve commented and as first kisses went, in the face of it, Steve's statement was not something Danny could refute.

Danny's hand had slipped from Steve's shoulder. It was on his chest and he could feel the heavy thump of Steve's heartbeat. He was slightly in awe of it and swallowed at the sight of his hand resting where it was on Steve's naked chest.

"Sir Steven, dinner is being served in the banquet hall," a voice called from outside of the tent.

"I'll be right there!" Steve shouted back.

Danny rested his forehead on Steve's collarbone and inhaled deeply the musky, sweaty scent of Steve, the earthy tinge of dirt, and the armor's metallic tang that hung in the air. Steve wrapped his arms around Danny and took a deep breath, laying a reverent kiss into his hair.

"I will win, Your Highness."

Danny had nothing to respond with, nothing that would make any sense.

Steve pulled back, grabbing an old, baggy shirt from the table beside them and dragged it over his head.

"I have to go. They're waiting for me. I shall see you tomorrow, my Prince." He was out of the tent before Danny could answer.


	4. Chapter 4

_XXIII. He whom the thought of love vexes eats and sleeps very little._

Danny hadn't slept well. He tossed and turned all night thinking about Steve and about the kiss and about the tournament. His mind threw him a million different scenarios and though his heart favored the one where Steve won and Grace was so happy that he was joining their family, he needed to remember the facts. He had to remember that a kiss should not be all it took to change his mind.

Even if the kiss was… very good.

He opposed the tournament in an idealistic way and he should not be easily swayed from that path.

He thought about Billy's death, about the lessons his father had taught him over the years. He thought about his spinster aunt who never found her true love. His poor aunt. Fate could be cruel or it could be kind and Danny wasn't fond of something out of his control dictating his life for him. If he wanted to be with Steve, he would decide that for himself, not based on the outcome of a game.

Danny sat in the stands and watched as Steve powered through that morning's event but seemed to tire by the afternoon and had finished fifth. After Sir Edward congratulated the winner, Steve and the other contestants came over for their audience with the royals.

The knight looked up at Danny in apology.

"I'm sorry, your Highness," Steve said. "I can perform better than that."

"I'm sure you can. Perhaps you put too much pressure on yourself. Perhaps this isn't your year after all," he said and Steve stood straighter.

"The Games are not over."

"You need to win outright in tomorrow's contest," Danny pointed out, noting how the scores added up with Sir Frederick not far behind Steve and he was closely followed by Sir Nicolas.

Steve dropped his bow to the ground and came forward, climbing the fence to get closer to the royal box. As much as some guards might see it as a hostile act, Sir Edward shooed them off and allowed Steve to continue.

The fence wasn't that tall, only an extra five feet or so from the ground, but climbing it got Steve just below eye level with Danny. He kept his feet and knees in place to hold himself up as leaned over to Danny and looked him up and down making him feel self-conscious and he ran a hand over his tight tunic to smooth it down.

"Perhaps a token," Steve suggested and Grace giggled beside them while Clara kept an indulgent smile behind her hand. "A favor to remind me what I fight for."

"Is your mind so easily distracted that you would forget?" Danny teased, though the flirting held a tension. "Or have you been hit on the head so many times that your intelligence dwindles?"

Steve laughed for Grace and Clara's benefit then motioned for Danny to lean closer so he could talk in more hushed tones. "You have an acid tongue and yet I remember it tasting so sweet," Steve whispered in his ear, making Danny blush as he quickly stepped back.

"Here!" Grace unknowingly interrupted their moment as she pulled Danny down closer to her level and began to pull at the lace on his tunic and it came away easily, revealing more of his upper chest to the world. She then held her hand out to Steve with the suede slip of material in it. "Will this do?"

"It's perfect, Gracie, thank you," Steve answered. "Your Highness," he said and bowed to her while she curtseyed in response. He turned his attention back to Danny. "My Prince," he acknowledged him and tucked the lace into the top of his own tunic before nodding to the Queen and her husband before jumping back down to the ground.

Steve had become a favorite of the crowd who watched his antics each day of the tournament with interest. He became the topic of gossip in various towns and villages nearby and they loved to see him interacting with Danny.

They were seen as a couple despite the fact that they weren't. Danny frowned as Steve waved to a few people in the stands as he left the arena. Everyone had been swept up into this romantic ideal, including his own family. As much as he tried to deny it, he could grudgingly admit (if only to himself) that he liked Steven. But that didn't mean he felt any less stifled by the tournament and the associated obligations.

He couldn't let this go on.

By the time the draw had been made for the final event the next day, Danny knew this was his chance to take grasp of his own future. Destiny be damned, he had never wanted to marry as a result of all this. He may have feelings for Steve but he wanted nothing to do in perpetuating the long-standing belief that royals were mere prizes to be won.

And his solution may be underhanded, and it may be against the rules, but he felt he had little choice in the matter. He couldn't let Steve win, because if that happened, everything was out of their control. Steve would have to ask, Danny would have to say yes. All he'd ever wanted was a chance to choose for himself, to not feel the pressure of history and an entire kingdom's population hanging over his shoulders.

Steve had still placed high enough that he could be made overall winner in the last event and Danny couldn't risk it so he covered himself up and late that night he made his way to the sign up sheet…


	5. Chapter 5

_XXX. A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed by the thought of his beloved._

The thing was, Danny had Sir Edward as a father. Eddie was the knight who had won his mother's hand, so Danny had been raised by a knight. Raised and trained. He knew he could hold his own. He knew he was skilled. Hell, he knew he was more skilled than many of the competitors and the draw for the final competition to be 'single combatant with a sword' fell in his favor.

Early that final morning he'd stolen away from the royal party, donned his lightweight armor, hidden his face and entered the final tournament line up like any other competitor. Many men and women did - those who wanted a chance to compete in single events could do so. It was another added element that the knights had to deal with - people who specialized in certain skills putting dents into their ambitions of overall victory and you need not be a knight to enter one single event.

Here they were after a long morning of mock battles with the final being announced with Sir Steven McGarrett having made it through alongside 'John Tillwell', an amateur with the ambition to knock Steve off his pedestal.

Though they would fight in armor, the swords had been dulled. Points were awarded for 'kill shots' by a referee and no real harm would come to the competitors. At least, not intentionally. These were friendly Games, after all. But Danny was going to be putting his all into this, because Steve had to beat him in order to win… well, him. And he wouldn't let that happen.

The points wracked up on both sides, though Steve still had the edge as they approached the halfway point. That was when it happened. That was when Danny's plans went awry. When he was distracted by the movement of the suede length of lacing wrapped around the hilt of Steve's sword and he missed the swipe of Steve's leg. It felled him, knocking him to the ground at an angle that made his helmet come off, revealing his face to the crowd.

The moment Steve knew who he was fighting, he backed up, eyes wide in shock. He fell to one knee, sword tip in the ground and he bowed his head in respect.

Danny looked around from where he was sprawled to see everyone as they gasped, and to witness his father standing from his seat. " Daniel! What the hell are you doing?"

Danny stood gingerly and walked closer to where his family was seated. His knee had taken a knock and he had a slight limp because of it, and he was panting from exertion. "What does it look like I'm doing, father? I'm competing. If Sir Steven wins this event, you know what that means."

"We all do, that's why these stands are packed with spectators," his father replied.

He took more steps towards his father, his eyes pleading for the opportunity to continue. "I could win, dad. I can beat him. I can put a stop to this. Please."

"Son, there are rules. No member of the Royal Court is permitted to compete. You know that, or else you would have entered under your own name."

"But-"

"The rules, Danny. They are clear, and you are breaking them. You leave me no choice."

Danny's eyes fell shut, he took off his armor piece by piece and let it fall to the ground.

"My son has been disqualified from the duel and forfeits his victory. Sir Steven wins by default. And if I'm not mistaken," he says with a wink to the crowd which garnered a gasped intake of breath all around, "that means Sir Steven goes to the top of the overall leader board. Congratulations, Sir Knight. You have now become Champion for three years running."

The anticipation in the crowd was palpable as they watched on like this was the greatest theatrical moment they could possibly witness. Steve bowed to Eddie and walked with purpose towards Danny. He knelt in front of the prince and took his hand, placing a kiss on the back before letting go.

"It was an honor to spar with you," Steve said, eyes still down.

"That's all you have to say?" Danny asked, apprehension pooling in his stomach, unsure of Steve's response or how he truly felt about Danny's deception.

"You have gone to great lengths to thwart my victory," Steve said, then finally lifted his head. His eyes were shining with held in sadness and it was strange to see it on his face. Danny had willfully ignored the depths of feeling Steve had about the Games and seeing it now made him ashamed of his actions. "I will abide by your wishes."

Steve stood and Danny tried to speak but nothing happened, his mind was a blank.

Steve nodded curtly to him. "I shall see you at the medal ceremony."


	6. Chapter 6

_VIII. No one should be deprived of love without the very best of reasons._

He had been selfish, sure, but he still felt justified. He never wanted to be a prize and yet it was expected and no one had cared to make things easier for him. He'd felt as though Steve was just as bad as them and that he was taking the opportunity to 'win' Danny with little regard to Danny's feelings on the matter.

And yet his own selfishness and willful ignorance of the feelings of others was hypocritical. In desperation to cling to his misguided beliefs and unfounded feelings, he had pushed aside what Steve had wanted, what he felt, and what he could offer.

Perhaps fate had to be cruel to be kind and everything unfolded as it had to teach Danny a lesson. He had intervened, he had taken control of his own destiny and yet the same results had happened. It wasn't that fate prevailed. It was that it allowed Danny to learn and to grow.

He also had to consider what was going to happen now. Steve had won the right to ask, but there was a problem because Steve knew that Danny had only competed to try to thwart that from happening.

If Steve didn't ask, he would be branded a coward, his reputation in ruins. If he did and Danny refused, then Danny would fall foul of the populace who would brand _**him**_ the coward. Steve was right; they knew each other better than they realized and Danny had a feeling that Steve would want to protect Danny. But the last thing he wanted was for Steve to lose everything he was because of Danny's own actions.

Danny had donned his clothing in silence, his servant keeping tactfully quiet as he helped the prince into the jewel encrusted jacket. He had attempted to lace up Danny's shirt but Danny reached a hand out to stop him and instead pulled the lacing out and put it aside, deciding to let his chest show in a rather unorthodox way but he was letting emotion dictate his choices. He helped strap Danny's cloak around his shoulder and under the opposite arm and then tied his boots up tight before leaving without a word, allowing Danny a few more moments of peace, listening only to the sound of the gathering crowds outside.


	7. Chapter 7

_XVI. When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved, his heart palpitates._

The stands were full to bursting and many who couldn't gain entry were on nearby hills trying to catch a glimpse into the tourney fields to see what might happen. Danny's chest tightened as he entered with his father and they made their way to the podium.

His father presented the third and second placed competitors with their prizes while Danny stood, back straight but eyes low listening to the pounding of his heart and the blood rushing through his ears. Everything was dulled and he felt a little dizzy and unsure.

He was nudged by his father and stepped forward, taking the shining necklace from the presentation pillow and held it up to place around Steve's neck.

"To the Champion," Danny said as Steve accepted the medallion. "Sir Steven, you are victorious for another year. Your third."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"I know what you're thinking," Danny blurted. "You would fall on your own sword would you not? In an attempt to spare me any hardship."

Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out the favor Grace had given him of Danny's lacing and held it out, returning it to its rightful owner. "I am a knight. I live by a code to do no harm. I could think of nothing worse than to hurt you and if you truly do not want to be with me, then I will walk away."

Danny ignored the proffered gift and stepped closer, his head tilted back to look into Steve's eyes. "Ask me," he said quietly.

"What?"

"The greater hurt would be to miss a chance at happiness. To see you suffer because of my stubbornness. I was taught by a knight, I know the code and I want to live by it, too. So please, if I have not upset the course of fate by my actions earlier today… ask me."

Steve stood unmoving like he hadn't heard a word of what Danny had said. Like he'd resigned himself to what he thought was going to happen and yet here was Danny tipping it back on its head. Steve turned his head to look at the crowd. Then after a moment, his eyes shifted by Danny to Sir Edward in a question that was answered with an indulgent smile. Finally the knight looked to Danny, keeping his eyes on the prince, as he took a knee. A gesture that the crowd responded to with a roar so loud it would be impossible to hear anything Steve would have said.

They waited for the noise to die down enough then Steve looked up at Danny. "Prince Daniel, it would be my greatest honor, if you would consent to our union... our marriage."

Danny smiled and nodded so the crowd understood his answer. "It would be my honor to accept," he said and took the lacing from where Steve's hand still clutched it and began to feed it through the holes in the top of his shirt.

Steve stood and batted his hands away. "Leave it loose. It suits you," he said and before Danny could make a pithy remark they were kissing and the crowd was going berserk in response but Danny didn't hear any of it, nor did he hear Sir Edward's hearty clapping or the sound of Grace screaming as she ran from the royal box and onto the field in excitement.

"Tonight we celebrate!" Sir Edward announced to the crowd as Grace threw herself between Steve and Danny and hugged the stuffing out of them.

Maybe the tournament wasn't so bad after all.


	8. Coda: the celebration & morning after

**Summary: Timestamp/coda for 'Tournament', beginning with the night of Steve and Danny's engagement and running to the morning after.**

 **Notes: Thanks to SardonicWolf for the beta. Any mistakes that remain are my own, accidental or of my own choosing!**

 **This timestamp was the reason I began posting this fic as a series. I don't plan to expand much further if at all, but I also didn't think this fit within the main frame of the story itself as it is supposed to have a more humorous slant and the ending isn't as strong as in the main body of the work.**

* * *

"Why don't you kiss him?" Grace asked, looking up at him in innocent wonder.

Danny turned to his daughter and leaned down closer, hands on his knees. "I would but, I'm worried that it would make other people jealous," he flicked his finger onto her nose.

"You mean me?" She asked of him and he smiled indulgently at her. "Maybe a little bit."

Danny regularly told her that he reserved his kisses and hugs for her and only her. He had been so set against ever finding someone to marry through the tournament that ever since Rachel's death, rather than engaging in any dalliances, he focused solely on his daughter.

Grace had taken to Steve easily, but that didn't mean she wouldn't feel left out if Danny had someone else to spend so much time with. And so Danny decided it would be better to ease her into a life where Steve would be around a lot more.

The party was in full swing and loud. He indulged in letting his young daughter attend, but there were no other children here anymore so it was time for her to go to bed. He spotted Jenna - Grace's teacher and lady in waiting - hovering nearby awaiting his instructions and motioned for her to come closer.

"Time for bed, Grace."

"But-"

"No buts. I let you stay here with us longer than I should have and the Queen can only fight your corner for so long. Bed time. Now."

"Okay," Grace pouted.

"Do you need me to come tuck you in?" Danny asked, still aware of where Steve was nearby, watching out of the corner of his eye.

"That's okay. Jenna can do it. You need to spend time with Sir Steven," she lifted onto her toes and pecked Danny on the cheek.

"Thank you," he said to her and she began to wander off, but before she took hold of Jenna's hand she turned and quickly ran over to where Steve was talking with another knight and barreled into him.

"Princess, are you okay?" Steve asked, eyes darting between the little girl and her father.

She looked up at him and nodded and motioned for him to bend closer. When he did, she pecked a kiss onto his cheek just like she had for Danny.

"What was that for?" Steve asked.

"So you don't get jealous," she explained and Steve just smiled and gave Danny a curious, questioning look as Grace ran off again, led out of the grand hall by Jenna.

Steve excused himself from the men he was talking to and came back over to Danny. "Should I ask what that was about?"

"It's a father/daughter thing. Don't worry about it," Danny waved off.

"Tell me," Steve said as he looked around them. "Are you as bored of well wishers as I am?"

Danny licked his lips to hide a smirk, though he wasn't entirely sure if Steve was flirting with him, but he was going to assume so. Steve had been keeping his eyes on Danny the whole evening. There was a shadow over Danny wherever he went. The funny thing was how little he minded it now. It was less of a shadow and more of a blanket. There was security in knowing Steve was there. "I am certainly more skilled in the art of diplomacy than you, but it does grow… tedious."

"Okay then," Steve raised his arm, offering it to Danny. "A walk?"

Danny wrapped his arm around Steve's in acceptance. "They say fresh air is good for you."

They ignored the suggestive looks as they walked out into the gardens. It was dark beyond the edges of the torch lit paths and quieter with less people around to stifle them.

Both men struggled to relax over the issue of marriage and it created an air of awkwardness between them. For his part, Danny was still reconciling the concept of marriage and himself in the same sentence, let alone the Steve factor.

"How does it feel?" Danny finally asked as they wandered more slowly in the open, dark space. There was no one around to hear them, and their forms were hidden by trees and bushes.

"How does what feel?"

Danny shrugged. "Your shoulder, where I got through your defenses on the field," he smiled. He could have asked a much more serious question, about how it felt to be engaged to the Crown Prince, but at the last moment he changed his mind and kept the conversation light.

"It's fine. Barely a bump," Steve responded but he rolled the shoulder in question and winced a little, making his nonchalance seem all the more put on.

"I would have beaten you."

"I don't think so," Steve replied smartly; confidence in his own abilities showing through. Then, after a moment, the knight seemed to realize his capacity to inflict damage, as he looked at the prince in concern. "How is your knee? I noticed you still carry a limp."

"It's a little swollen but there's no real damage."

Steve led Danny to a nearby tree stump and made him sit. Not heeding Danny's gestured protests, Steve fussed over him, a vestige of guilt shining through in his actions. It didn't seem to matter to Steve that Danny purposely hid his identity. He would still think it his own fault for not recognizing the prince under all his armor.

Steve sat close beside Danny on the small stump, their arms meeting in a line down their bodies.

"How long until we marry?" Steve asked out of curiosity.

"Well, I'm not sure. Time is needed to organize the whole thing, invite the guests and have them arrive, some from miles away. If I remember the stories, my parents had to wait a few months. Why do you ask, planning to bail on me already?"

"Never," Steve replied automatically, refuting the suggestion that he wasn't committed. "Admittedly, I was thinking about…. the wedding night."

"Ah," Danny nodded sagely. Then after a moment, he snorted and began to laugh.

"Hey! What's so funny?" Steve spluttered through a smile.

"I'm sorry it's just, the brave knight that you project seems a contrast to a man nervous about having sex."

"I'm not nervous, that wasn't… I'm more… impatient."

"Oh," Danny's brain stopped for a moment before firing back to life. "Oh. Well, I mean… there's the proper thing to do of course. To wait. It's expected. But there might be… loopholes."

"Yeah?" Steve asked, a sly grin on his face as he turned his head to Danny's and brought a hand up to his face. "Loopholes sounds promising."

They hadn't kissed since the medal ceremony, not properly. Small pecks to the lips in front of an assembled crowd didn't count in Danny's book. They were fast, clinical, but he knew that a kiss with Steve could be so much better and his anticipation was ramped up by the look in Steve's eyes. Even in the dark he could see them clearly as everything else around them fell away.

He could feel his heart begin to race as Steve guided Danny's head closer to his own. Their noses nudged against the other, foreheads bumped and breath mingled as time slowed. Danny let out a soft moan of longing and could feel Steve's lips curl into a smile just as they finally met, pressing gently together but quickly turning more heated.

Danny let himself get lost in Steve's warm presence, opening up to him. They battled for dominance for a moment but just like in the field, Danny succumbed to Steve's ascendancy and let the knight take over. Steve's whole body seemed to crave more as he pulled Danny in closer, almost lifting him up against him, hands clutching at Danny's robes, pushing the material out of the way yet the layers vexed him and the frustration was evident as he bit at Danny's lower lip with a growl.

And it turned Danny on. In the past he would never have allowed himself to acquiesce control to anybody. Yet here he was, mind reeling with the possibilities and eager to find out what more could happen. He found himself so lost in the moment that he forget to breathe between kisses and he had no choice but to pull away, abruptly turning his head to the side. Steve followed, not registering Danny's needs, seeking out his lips by trailing his own over Danny's cheek and jaw. It fell on Danny to stop things, if only for a moment.

A moment of worry, of doubt. "Steve, wait."

"What is it, my love? Do you see someone coming?" Steve reached a hand reflexively to where the hilt of his sword would regularly sit.

Danny laid his hands upon Steve's chest to halt his movements. "No, it's not that. I just- before I meant to ask you about how you truly felt."

"About what?"

"About everything," Danny answered. "You were right about how well we'd truly got to know each other, even without noticing. And I know how dedicated you have been to your calling as a knight and to your quest. Even if it is strange to consider that I was the object of that quest. But, what happens next for you?"

"Next? Next we marry," Steve said. "I have dedicated 30 years of my life to this, I have no intentions of backing out."

"That's the thing," Danny waved his hands about between them. "You're a knight, you dedicated yourself to a quest and now that it's complete, what do you do? We've all heard the stories, Steven… About knights who struggled to find purpose, wallowing away in a drunken haze as they recount their glory days. Worse, the knights who off themselves, feeling resentful about the loss of their life's drive and meaning. I don't want that to happen to you."

Steve shifted in his seat, clamped a hand around one of Danny's and brought it down to his thigh. "So you think I'd be lost without a quest?"

"Am I worried that castle life will bore you to tears, that you'll long for more, that you'll set your mind to a new task and I'll be left behind? Sure, it sounds pathetic when I say it out loud but yes, I guess that's what it is."

"Danny don't you see?" Steve huffed and then smiled at Danny indulgently. "The quest isn't over. It's a lifetime appointment and always has been ever since my father tasked me with it. My quest is now and has always been you. To protect you. If anything, with us soon to be married, I feel like it's finally beginning."

It was never often that Danny was left speechless and Steve had managed to achieve that twice in a matter of days with his words of dedication. It wasn't that Danny doubted them - he couldn't, not in the face of Steve's earnestness. He just felt unworthy, though not necessarily in a modest way, but more that he didn't believe anyone could ever be the focus of such love and commitment. It was that fairy tale he never believed. If he were a mere onlooker, he would tell himself to run, to escape. The way things were moving, how intense the feelings were, it could only end in disaster. But he ignored the doubts and allowed himself to think with his heart, not his head, So he leaned into Steve, allowing himself to be drawn closer. Like a moth to a flame, he wanted to be Steve's focus and he wanted the chance to return it.

He was pulled into a hug, his hands caught between their bodies and he couldn't help but notice how he appreciated Steve's warm arms as they clasped around him, keeping the chill in the air at bay.

After long moments, it was Steve who spoke to break the heavy silence. "We were talking before… about loopholes?"

Danny snorted as he laughed.

With the morning sun high overhead, Steve burrowed into Danny's back to wake him with small kisses on his shoulder and collarbone. It made Danny hum contentedly, thinking back over the night before and how they'd tumbled into bed before languidly getting to know one another's bodies. They'd touched over every inch being careful of injuries from the last few days as they brought each other pleasure and then curled into the pillows and slept through the dawning of a new day.

The doors to Danny's chamber banged open and Steve was alert in a moment, first to cover Danny's body with his own in safety and then to jump as far away as possible from him as he took in the striding form of Danny's father.

Steve was out of the bed and grabbing belatedly for the corner of the bed clothes to cover his modesty and all the while, Danny just turned onto his back and scooted himself up to sit.

"Father?"

"It's late," Sir Edward told him, ignoring Steve for the most part and keeping his face straight and steady as he focused on his son. "The court was wondering where you were and I find you still in bed?"

"I take responsibility, Sir Edward," Steve said.

"I will deal with your antics in a moment, boy," Edward told him in a frown. "Daniel, you have responsibilities that do not get pushed aside in favor of…" he gestured to Steven.

"Sir Edward, just so you know we didn't…" he gestured his fingers going into a hole shape in his other hands, then realized that he'd dropped the bed clothes he'd been using to cover himself and had to stoop to lift them again, embarrassment showing on his face. "His virtue is still in tact for the wedding," he finished and cleared his throat.

"Dad, seriously," Danny wiped down his face thinking it too early and his brain not working fast enough to appreciate the humor in seeing Steve so flustered and idiotic. "The party ran late, no one expects me to do much today and you know it."

Sir Edward looked between the two men and then couldn't contain himself anymore, gut bursting with laughter. "His face," he said as he got himself together again, wiping at an eye. "Did you see his face when I stormed in here? Priceless."

Danny raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to where Steve was still a step or two behind on the uptake. He still seemed disbelieving and Eddie rounded the bed and came closer to him. Steve leaned back but Eddie heartily slapped him on the shoulder and pulled him in to his side while Steve still clutched onto the covers.

"It's alright, son. When I was in your position-"

"Dad, no," Danny stopped him, not wanting to hear anything about what his parents got up to in their day.

"I'm just saying, we all looked for the loopholes. Though, if I recall, your grandfather was not as forgiving about it as I am," Eddie said wistfully. "Carry on," he then said, thumping Steve's back one more time before walking away again. "Lunch will be served in an hour."

As the door closed, Steve finally let go of the tension he was holding onto and slipped slowly back down onto the bed. He didn't even seem to have blinked the entire time and was finally getting the chance to do so.

"What just happened?"

"My father just gave you permission to keep having sex with me. I think," Danny answered, crinkling his nose.

Steve seemed to come to terms with that and then scooted impossibly close. "We have an hour until lunch."

"Yes, we do," Danny smiled as they lay down again and got comfortable. "Oh, the whole," he made the same sexual gesture with his fingers and fist. "Never do that again."


End file.
